Ever since sound and film were first united in The Jazz Singer<\/em> (1927), the musical has been a staple of cinema history and popular culture. Over time the genre has evolved, peaked and waned. Hollywood cornered the market,<\/strong> though Bollywood has certainly given it a run for its money over the years, and it enjoyed a lengthy golden age.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n
10 of the best stage musicals of all time<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
10 of the best musical theatre composers<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
Six of the best musical theatre scores<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
What is the difference between a musical and an opera?<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>
<\/p><\/div> <\/section>
The last few years have seen the (Hollywood) film musical enjoy a bit of a comeback, but what are the best film musicals of all time?<\/p>\n
Best film musicals ever<\/h2>\n
The Wizard of Oz<\/strong> (1939)<\/h3>\n
Harold Arlen & Yip Harbug<\/strong>dir. Victor Fleming<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p>The yellow-brick road, the ruby slippers, the wicked witch of the west\u2026 Everything about <em>The Wizard of Oz<\/em> is iconic. Based on L. Frank Baum\u2019s children\u2019s stories about the fantasy land of Oz (first published in 1900), this mini epic is also notable for its use of the fledgling Technicolor film process \u2013 though the film begins in black and white, the land of Oz is revealed to us in spectacular colour. The original songs by Arlen and Harburg are all classics, with the Oscar-winning \u2018Somewhere Over the Rainbow\u2019 the most famous. The film was released just months into the Second World War, and so the song became something of an anthem for hope of better times ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Though there have been stage versions of the story, this take on it was only fully adapted for the theatre stage in 2011 and featured additional songs by Andrew Lloyd Webber.<\/p>\n<div class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-container"\" data-position=\""adhoc"\" hidden=\"\"> <h5 class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-title\" monetizer-title=\"\" style=\""background-color:\" color:=\"\"\/> <div id=\""monetizer__deals"\" data-type=\""price-comparison"\" data-config=\"'{"shopId":"1378","market":"gbp_en","template":"default","searchKeywords":"https:\\\/\\\/www.ebay.co.uk\\\/itm\\\/265392577284","excludeKeywords":"","geolocation":true,"limit":"4","priceRange":"2.1-3.9","sid":"term-classicalmusic-6276-pcs-txt-pos"}'\"\/> <div class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-explanatory-text\" body-copy-extra-small=\"\" editor-content=\"\"\/><\/div> <h3><strong><br\/>\nSingin\u2019 in the Rain<\/strong> (1952)<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Nacio Herb Brown & Arthur Freed<\/strong><br\/><strong>dir. Stanley Donen & Gene Kelly<\/strong><\/p>\n<iframe title=\""Singin'\" in=\"\" the=\"\" rain=\"\" official=\"\" trailer=\"\" gene=\"\" kelly=\"\" debbie=\"\" reynolds=\"\" movie=\"\" hd=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""150"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5_EVHeNEIJY?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<p>Everyone knows the title song, and the image of Gene Kelly splashing about in puddles and swinging around a lamp post is surely engrained on the popular conscience. But there\u2019s more to <em>Singin\u2019 in the Rain<\/em> than that soggy dance number. It\u2019s a colourful, comical film about making films with memorable turns from leads Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O\u2019Connor. Musically it\u2019s a total patchwork, with the majority of the featured songs having been written for MGM productions from the 1930s. Only \u2018Make \u2018em Laugh\u2019 and \u2018Moses Supposes\u2019 were written for the film.<\/p>\n<p>The film was adapted for the stage in 1983 and enjoyed a very popular revival in 2011.<\/p>\n<div class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-container"\" data-position=\""adhoc"\" hidden=\"\"> <h5 class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-title\" monetizer-title=\"\" style=\""background-color:\" color:=\"\"\/> <div id=\""monetizer__deals"\" data-type=\""price-comparison"\" data-config=\"'{"shopId":"1378","market":"gbp_en","template":"default","searchKeywords":"https:\\\/\\\/www.amazon.co.uk\\\/Singin-Ultimate-Collection-Ultra-HD-Blu-ray\\\/dp\\\/B09TBYFPV8\\\/ref=asc_df_B09TBYFPV8","excludeKeywords":"","geolocation":true,"limit":"4","priceRange":"21-39","sid":"term-classicalmusic-6276-pcs-txt-pos"}'\"\/> <div class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-explanatory-text\" body-copy-extra-small=\"\" editor-content=\"\"\/><\/div> <h3><strong>Calamity Jane<\/strong> (1953)<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Sammy Fain & Paul Francis Webster<\/strong><br\/><strong>dir. David Butler<\/strong><\/p>\n<iframe title=\""Calamity\" jane=\"\" official=\"\" trailer=\"\" doris=\"\" day=\"\" howard=\"\" keel=\"\" movie=\"\" hd=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""113"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/YKlSNnscZck?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<p>The musical was big business for Hollywood in the 1950s and so was the western, so bringing them together made a lot of sense. <em>Annie Get Your Gun<\/em> had been a big success for MGM and so Warner Bros decided to get a piece of the action. \u2018Calamity Jane\u2019 was a real person, famed for her colourful life in the American West, and the story brings together (and in many respects softens) her most storied exploits. Brought to vivid life by Doris Day, \u2018Calamity\u2019 remains one of the screen\u2019s most beloved characters and her fabulous vocals added great weight and colour to a clutch of barnstorming musical numbers, including \u2018The Deadwood Stage\u2019, The Windy City\u2019, \u2018The Black Hills of Dakota\u2019 and the Oscar-winning \u2018Secret Love\u2019.<\/p>\n<div class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-container"\" data-position=\""adhoc"\" hidden=\"\"> <h5 class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-title\" monetizer-title=\"\" style=\""background-color:\" color:=\"\"\/> <div id=\""monetizer__deals"\" data-type=\""price-comparison"\" data-config=\"'{"shopId":"1378","market":"gbp_en","template":"default","searchKeywords":"https:\\\/\\\/www.amazon.co.uk\\\/Calamity-Howard-Allyn-McLerie-Doris\\\/dp\\\/B09BZTFQBG\\\/ref=sr_1_1?","excludeKeywords":"","geolocation":true,"limit":"4","priceRange":"4.9-9.1","sid":"term-classicalmusic-6276-pcs-txt-pos"}'\"\/> <div class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-explanatory-text\" body-copy-extra-small=\"\" editor-content=\"\"\/><\/div> <h3><strong>West Side Story <\/strong>(1961 & 2021)<\/h3>\n<p><strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/reviews\/historical\/leonard-bernstein-2\/"\">Leonard Bernstein<\/a> & <a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/musical-theatre-legend-stephen-sondheim-has-died-aged-91\/"\">Stephen Sondheim<\/a><\/strong><br\/><strong>dir. Robert Wise & Jerome Robbins (1961); Steven Spielberg (2021)<\/strong><\/p>\n<iframe title=\""Steven\" spielberg=\"\" side=\"\" story=\"\" official=\"\" teaser=\"\" century=\"\" studios=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""113"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/CbUM27qw6a8?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<p>The first in this list to have actually begun life as a stage musical, <em>West Side Story<\/em> has now been adapted twice for the big screen and both versions are worthy of a place here. The heartbreaking reimagining of <em>Romeo & Juliet<\/em> features incredible choreography and music, not to mention songs that have stood the test of time. The original film will remain iconic, with its bold use of colour and dynamic set pieces overseen by the show\u2019s creators. Steven Spielberg managed to make a film that not only matched up to the original in terms of its emotional and visual impact, but did so with a more profound feeling of authenticity.<\/p>\n<section class=\""highlight\"><div class=\""highlight__content\" editor-content=\"\"> \n<ul><li><strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/stephen-sondheim-the-composers-best-musicals\/"\">Stephen Sondheim: the composer\u2019s best musicals<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/west-side-story-our-guide-to-bernsteins-original-1957-musical\/"\">West Side Story: our guide to Bernstein\u2019s original 1957 stage musical<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/news\/spielbergs-west-side-story-film-adaptation-releases-teaser-trailer-in-oscars-ceremony\/"\">Spielberg\u2019s West Side Story film adaptation releases teaser trailer in Oscars ceremony<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/the-best-musicals-by-leonard-bernstein\/"\">The best musicals by Leonard Bernstein<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul><p> <\/p><\/div> <\/section><p>Johnny Green, Irwin Kostal, Sid Ramin and Saul Chaplin shared an <strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/all-the-oscar-winners-and-nominees-for-best-original-score\/"\">Oscar<\/a><\/strong> win for their work on the 1961 film\u2019s music.<\/p>\n<div class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-container"\" data-position=\""adhoc"\" hidden=\"\"> <h5 class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-title\" monetizer-title=\"\" style=\""background-color:\" color:=\"\"\/> <div id=\""monetizer__deals"\" data-type=\""price-comparison"\" data-config=\"'{"shopId":"1378","market":"gbp_en","template":"default","searchKeywords":"https:\\\/\\\/www.amazon.co.uk\\\/West-Side-Story-Ansel-Elgort\\\/dp\\\/B09Q9G5TC7\\\/ref=asc_df_B09Q9G5TC7\\\/","excludeKeywords":"","geolocation":true,"limit":"4","priceRange":"6.3-11.7","sid":"term-classicalmusic-6276-pcs-txt-pos"}'\"\/> <div class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-explanatory-text\" body-copy-extra-small=\"\" editor-content=\"\"\/><\/div> <h3><strong>Mary Poppins<\/strong> (1964)<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Robert B. Sherman & Richard M. Sherman<\/strong><br\/><strong>dir. Robert Stevenson<\/strong><\/p>\n<iframe title=\""Mary\" poppins=\"\" trailer=\"\" movieclips=\"\" classic=\"\" trailers=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""113"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/YfkEQDPlb8g?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<p>Walt Disney spent years trying to convince author PL Travers to let him buy the film rights to her character Mary Poppins. Travers\u2019s books had enchanted him and his children and he thought it would make a magical film. Thank goodness she relented, because how right he was. From the picture-book sets and costumes to the characterful music and lyrics of the Sherman Brothers, it\u2019s quite simply <em>Supercalifragilisticexpealidocious<\/em>. It also marked the screen debut of Julie Andrews in the title role, which won her an Oscar.<\/p>\n<p>The Shermans won two Oscars, for their scoring and the song \u2018Chim Chim Cher-ee\u2019<\/p>\n<div class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-container"\" data-position=\""adhoc"\" hidden=\"\"> <h5 class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-title\" monetizer-title=\"\" style=\""background-color:\" color:=\"\"\/> <div id=\""monetizer__deals"\" data-type=\""price-comparison"\" data-config=\"'{"shopId":"1378","market":"gbp_en","template":"default","searchKeywords":"https:\\\/\\\/www.amazon.co.uk\\\/Mary-Poppins-DVD-Julie-Andrews\\\/dp\\\/B00EB88MBG\\\/ref=asc_df_B00EB88MBG\\\/","excludeKeywords":"","geolocation":true,"limit":"4","priceRange":"2.8-5.2","sid":"term-classicalmusic-6276-pcs-txt-pos"}'\"\/> <div class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-explanatory-text\" body-copy-extra-small=\"\" editor-content=\"\"\/><\/div> <h3><strong>The Umbrellas of Cherbourg<\/strong> (1964)<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Michel Legrand<\/strong><br\/><strong>dir. Jacques Demy<\/strong><\/p>\n<iframe title=\""Umbrellas\" of=\"\" cherbourg=\"\" trailer=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""113"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/imCOi7pqKh0?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<p>Okay, so it\u2019s not only Hollywood who could make musicals. This French film from Jacques Demy starred Catherine Deneuve and Nino Castelnuovo as the romantic leads whose love, and lives, are torn apart by his conscription into the army to fight in Algeria. It\u2019s not exactly cheery, then, but there\u2019s something about its melancholy charm that gets under the skin. Speaking of which, Michel Legrand\u2019s main melody is one of his very best and with reprise after reprise (after reprise), you begin to hum it long after the film has ended.<\/p>\n<p>The film won the <em>Palme d\u2019Or<\/em> at Cannes and was adapted for the stage, in English, in 2011.<\/p>\n<div class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-container"\" data-position=\""adhoc"\" hidden=\"\"> <h5 class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-title\" monetizer-title=\"\" style=\""background-color:\" color:=\"\"\/> <div id=\""monetizer__deals"\" data-type=\""price-comparison"\" data-config=\"'{"shopId":"1378","market":"gbp_en","template":"default","searchKeywords":"https:\\\/\\\/www.amazon.co.uk\\\/Umbrellas-Cherbourg-Castelnuovo-Catherine-Deneuve\\\/dp\\\/B09HPWDSDD\\\/ref=sr_1_3","excludeKeywords":"","geolocation":true,"limit":"4","priceRange":"2.8-5.2","sid":"term-classicalmusic-6276-pcs-txt-pos"}'\"\/> <div class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-explanatory-text\" body-copy-extra-small=\"\" editor-content=\"\"\/><\/div> <h3><strong>The Sound of Music<\/strong> (1965)<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II<\/strong><br\/><strong>dir. Robert Wise<\/strong><\/p>\n<iframe title=\""The\" sound=\"\" of=\"\" music=\"\" trailer=\"\" movieclips=\"\" classic=\"\" trailers=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""113"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/aMMgcAqOYbI?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<p>Like <em>West Side Story<\/em>, it didn\u2019t take too long for Hollywood to catch on to this Broadway hit. Indeed Twentieth Century-Fox bought up the film rights for what was becoming a Rodgers & Hammerstein classic just a few months after its premiere in late 1959. The studio didn\u2019t rush and the work, on the screenplay, location scouting and casting, paid off. Its use of real locations is one reason why the film works so beautifully, another is its lead; Julie Andrews was the toast of Hollywood after <em>Mary Poppins<\/em> and, though wary of playing another singing Nanny, the gamble was worth it. Rodgers & Hammerstein wrote a new song for the film: \u2018Something Good\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>Irwin Kostal won an Oscar for his music direction.<\/p>\n<p><strong>We named \u2018My Favourite Things\u2019 one of the <a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/10-of-the-best-songs-from-musicals\/"\">best songs from a musical ever<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-container"\" data-position=\""adhoc"\" hidden=\"\"> <h5 class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-title\" monetizer-title=\"\" style=\""background-color:\" color:=\"\"\/> <div id=\""monetizer__deals"\" data-type=\""price-comparison"\" data-config=\"'{"shopId":"1378","market":"gbp_en","template":"default","searchKeywords":"https:\\\/\\\/www.amazon.co.uk\\\/Sound-Music-DVD-Julie-Andrews\\\/dp\\\/B0001WHYEC\\\/ref=sr_1_1","excludeKeywords":"","geolocation":true,"limit":"4","priceRange":"7-13","sid":"term-classicalmusic-6276-pcs-txt-pos"}'\"\/> <div class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-explanatory-text\" body-copy-extra-small=\"\" editor-content=\"\"\/><\/div> <h3><strong>Chitty Chitty Bang Bang <\/strong>(1968)<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Robert B. Sherman & Richard M. Sherman<\/strong><br\/><strong>dir. Ken Hughes<\/strong><\/p>\n<iframe title=\""Chitty\" chitty=\"\" bang=\"\" official=\"\" trailer=\"\" james=\"\" robertson=\"\" justice=\"\" movie=\"\" hd=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""113"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ftolP-1944A?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<p>This absolute gem was, believe it or not, based on a novel by 007 author Ian Fleming, produced by Bond\u2019s legendary helmsman \u2018Cubby\u2019 Broccoli and originally adapted for the screen by Roald Dahl. The success of Disney\u2019s <em>Mary Poppins<\/em> has a lot to do with this film\u2019s creation, particularly as it stars Dick van Dyke and features original songs by the Sherman Brothers. It\u2019s full of memorable moments, beloved characters and some now classic songs\u2026 though the less said about the terrifying Childcatcher the better.<\/p>\n<div class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-container"\" data-position=\""adhoc"\" hidden=\"\"> <h5 class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-title\" monetizer-title=\"\" style=\""background-color:\" color:=\"\"\/> <div id=\""monetizer__deals"\" data-type=\""price-comparison"\" data-config=\"'{"shopId":"1378","market":"gbp_en","template":"default","searchKeywords":"https:\\\/\\\/www.amazon.co.uk\\\/Chitty-Bang-50th-Anniversary-Re-Sleeve\\\/dp\\\/B07HGBVTH6\\\/ref=sr_1_1","excludeKeywords":"","geolocation":true,"limit":"4","priceRange":"2.8-5.2","sid":"term-classicalmusic-6276-pcs-txt-pos"}'\"\/> <div class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-explanatory-text\" body-copy-extra-small=\"\" editor-content=\"\"\/><\/div> <h3><strong>Oliver!<\/strong> (1968)<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Lionel Bart<\/strong><br\/><strong>dir. Carol Reed<\/strong><\/p>\n<iframe title=\""OLIVER!\" official=\"\" trailer=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""113"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/U1-Q3nyMelc?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<p>Lionel Bart\u2019s 1960 West End musical needs little introduction, and neither does this film version \u2013 a go-to for TV schedulers at Christmastime\u2026 or anytime for that matter. Based on Charles Dickens\u2019s beloved classic, this big-screen take on <em>Oliver Twist<\/em> spared no expense with its lavish sets, costumes and thrilling musical numbers. The casting, too, makes it a winner \u2013 who can forget Ron Moody as Fagin, or Oliver Reed as Bill Sykes?<\/p>\n<p>Johnny Green won an Oscar for his music direction.<\/p>\n<div class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-container"\" data-position=\""adhoc"\" hidden=\"\"> <h5 class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-title\" monetizer-title=\"\" style=\""background-color:\" color:=\"\"\/> <div id=\""monetizer__deals"\" data-type=\""price-comparison"\" data-config=\"'{"shopId":"1378","market":"gbp_en","template":"default","searchKeywords":"https:\\\/\\\/www.amazon.co.uk\\\/Oliver-Blu-ray-Region-Free-Moody\\\/dp\\\/B07VCLR72M\\\/ref=asc_df_B07VCLR72M\\\/","excludeKeywords":"","geolocation":true,"limit":"4","priceRange":"4.9-9.1","sid":"term-classicalmusic-6276-pcs-txt-pos"}'\"\/> <div class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-explanatory-text\" body-copy-extra-small=\"\" editor-content=\"\"\/><\/div> <h3><strong>Fiddler on the Roof<\/strong> (1971)<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Jerry Bock & Sheldon Harnick<\/strong><br\/><strong>dir. Norman Jewison<\/strong><\/p>\n<iframe title=\""Fiddler\" on=\"\" the=\"\" roof=\"\" official=\"\" trailer=\"\" topol=\"\" movie=\"\" hd=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""150"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gsDP-90j9x8?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<p>It\u2019s fair to say <em>Fiddler on the Roof<\/em> owes a little of its impact to <em>The Sound of Music<\/em> in that it, too, was shot partly on location. So many Hollywood musicals had been created within the confines of the studios themselves, on backlots and soundstages, that to have the action take place out in the real world was seemingly just what the genre needed. Based on Sholem Alecheim\u2019s \u2018Tevye\u2019 stories, <em>Fiddler<\/em> is a lively and moving snapshot of life in a Russian Jewish settlement in the early 1900s. The film\u2019s star, Israeli actor\/singer Topol, lights up the screen and Jerry Bock\u2019s original songs (including the very familiar \u2018If I Were a Rich Man\u2019) were brought to dazzling life by the film\u2019s musical director, John Williams. Williams won his first Oscar for his work on the film.<\/p>\n<div class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-container"\" data-position=\""adhoc"\" hidden=\"\"> <h5 class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-title\" monetizer-title=\"\" style=\""background-color:\" color:=\"\"\/> <div id=\""monetizer__deals"\" data-type=\""price-comparison"\" data-config=\"'{"shopId":"1378","market":"gbp_en","template":"default","searchKeywords":"https:\\\/\\\/www.amazon.co.uk\\\/Fiddler-Roof-40th-Anniversary-Blu-ray\\\/dp\\\/B005FQFTHI\\\/ref=asc_df_B005FQFTHI\\\/","excludeKeywords":"","geolocation":true,"limit":"4","priceRange":"4.9-9.1","sid":"term-classicalmusic-6276-pcs-txt-pos"}'\"\/> <div class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-explanatory-text\" body-copy-extra-small=\"\" editor-content=\"\"\/><\/div> <h3><strong>Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory<\/strong> (1971)<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Anthony Newley & Leslie Bricusse<\/strong><br\/><strong>dir. Mel Stuart<\/strong><\/p>\n<iframe title=\""Willy\" wonka=\"\" the=\"\" chocolate=\"\" factory=\"\" official=\"\" trailer=\"\" gene=\"\" wilder=\"\" roald=\"\" dahl=\"\" movie=\"\" hd=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""113"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2cBja3AbahY?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<p><strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/fantastic-mr-dahl\/"\">Roald Dahl<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s 1964 book <em>Charlie and the Chocolate Factory<\/em> was ripe for adaptation and the funding for a film version came from the most unlikely of places\u2026 Quaker Oats. Yup, the cereal company stumped up the cash with a tie-in \u2018Wonka Bar\u2019 in mind. That\u2019s one reason the film\u2019s producer\u2019s changed the title, so they say. Such a colourful, and at times frankly odd, story would be served well with music, and so the project was devised as an original musical. Notable composers turned the job down, but songwriting team Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley gamely took it on. Though it didn\u2019t exactly light up the box office upon its original release, it has become something of a cult classic today, with \u2018Pure Imagination\u2019 the standout musical number (performed so memorably in the film by the late Gene Wilder). That song (plus \u2018The Candy Man\u2019 and \u2018Oompa Loompa\u2019) would make it into the 2013 stage musical, <em>Charlie and the Chocolate Factory<\/em>, otherwise featuring original songs by <em>Hairspray<\/em> songwriters Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman.<\/p>\n<div class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-container"\" data-position=\""adhoc"\" hidden=\"\"> <h5 class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-title\" monetizer-title=\"\" style=\""background-color:\" color:=\"\"\/> <div id=\""monetizer__deals"\" data-type=\""price-comparison"\" data-config=\"'{"shopId":"1378","market":"gbp_en","template":"default","searchKeywords":"https:\\\/\\\/www.amazon.co.uk\\\/Willy-Wonka-Chocolate-Factory-DVD\\\/dp\\\/B00004D2Y4\\\/ref=sr_1_1?","excludeKeywords":"","geolocation":true,"limit":"4","priceRange":"2.8-5.2","sid":"term-classicalmusic-6276-pcs-txt-pos"}'\"\/> <div class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-explanatory-text\" body-copy-extra-small=\"\" editor-content=\"\"\/><\/div> <h3><strong>Grease<\/strong> (1978)<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Jim Jabobs & Warren Casey; John Farrar; Barry Gibb et al<\/strong><br\/><strong>dir. Randall Kleiser<\/strong><\/p>\n<iframe title=\""GREASE\" trailer=\"\" paramount=\"\" movies=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""113"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/THd96gHV7Tg?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<p>You\u2019d be forgiven for thinking <em>Grease <\/em>is an original film musical, but it was in fact adapted from a stage show. It\u2019s fair to say, though, that the film took it to a whole new level and brought mass appeal thanks to its hot young cast and additional songs by Barry Gibb (of Bee Gees fame) and John Farrar. Indeed the most famous songs were new, including \u2018Grease\u2019, \u2018Hopelessly Devoted\u2019 and \u2018You\u2019re the One That I Want\u2019; of the very popular numbers, only \u2018Summer Nights\u2019 featured in the original stage musical by Jacobs and Casey. The soundtrack album was a multi-million seller and it seems no matter your age, you probably know a song from <em>Grease<\/em>.<\/p>\n<div class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-container"\" data-position=\""adhoc"\" hidden=\"\"> <h5 class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-title\" monetizer-title=\"\" style=\""background-color:\" color:=\"\"\/> <div id=\""monetizer__deals"\" data-type=\""price-comparison"\" data-config=\"'{"shopId":"1378","market":"gbp_en","template":"default","searchKeywords":"https:\\\/\\\/www.amazon.co.uk\\\/Grease-DVD-John-Travolta\\\/dp\\\/B00006FI2Z\\\/ref=sr_1_2","excludeKeywords":"","geolocation":true,"limit":"4","priceRange":"2.8-5.2","sid":"term-classicalmusic-6276-pcs-txt-pos"}'\"\/> <div class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-explanatory-text\" body-copy-extra-small=\"\" editor-content=\"\"\/><\/div> <h3><strong>Little Shop of Horrors<\/strong> (1986)<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Alan Menken & Howard Ashman<\/strong><br\/><strong>dir. Frank Oz<\/strong><\/p>\n<iframe title=\""Little\" shop=\"\" of=\"\" horrors=\"\" official=\"\" trailer=\"\" steve=\"\" martin=\"\" bill=\"\" murray=\"\" comedy=\"\" musical=\"\" hd=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""113"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QqFZuR6UzjA?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<p>Before Menken and Ashman gave voice to Disney Mermaids and Beasts, they were most famous for their 1982 Broadway hit based on Roger Corman\u2019s 1960 horror comedy film about a man-eating plant. It\u2019s popularity on stage led to this 1986 screen version, now a cult classic, starring Rick Moranis and Ellen Greene (the latter who originated the role of Audrey on Broadway and in the West End). Menken\u2019s brilliantly catchy doo-wop score and Ashman\u2019s snappy lyrics pervade, with memorably zany turns from supporting cast members, including Steve Martin as a sadomasochistic dentist.<\/p>\n<div class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-container"\" data-position=\""adhoc"\" hidden=\"\"> <h5 class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-title\" monetizer-title=\"\" style=\""background-color:\" color:=\"\"\/> <div id=\""monetizer__deals"\" data-type=\""price-comparison"\" data-config=\"'{"shopId":"1378","market":"gbp_en","template":"default","searchKeywords":"https:\\\/\\\/www.amazon.co.uk\\\/Little-Shop-Horrors-Rick-Moranis\\\/dp\\\/B000092WD8\\\/ref=sr_1_1","excludeKeywords":"","geolocation":true,"limit":"4","priceRange":"4.9-9.1","sid":"term-classicalmusic-6276-pcs-txt-pos"}'\"\/> <div class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-explanatory-text\" body-copy-extra-small=\"\" editor-content=\"\"\/><\/div> <h3><strong>The Hunchback of Notre-Dame<\/strong> (1996)<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Alan Menken & Stephen Schwartz<\/strong><br\/><strong>dir. Gary Trousdale & Kirk Wise<\/strong><\/p>\n<iframe title=\""Tbond\" intro=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""150"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/CAktgC2PSJ8?list=PLFA7CF52D3A711043"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<p>Okay, so we\u2019re spoilt for choice when it comes to Disney animated musicals (they alone really kept the film musical alive for years) and a good number have now been transformed into blockbuster stage musicals. This beautiful film has been overshadowed by its more successful forebears, however, and really deserves to be reassessed. The music by Alan Menken is perhaps his very finest work, drenched in pathos, steeped in grandeur. It is perhaps the story, of a man vilified for the way he looks, which touches the heart the most, but Menken (and Stephen Schwartz) responded with a soulful accompaniment. Tom Hulce (who played Mozart in the film of <em>Amadeus<\/em>) voices Quasi-modo and delivers one of the film\u2019s most spinetingling songs, \u2018Out There\u2019. Menken and Schwartz went on to expand their work for the stage, and it was hugely popular in Germany, though it never made it to Broadway. A studio recording of the revised show was released in 2015.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/The-Hunchback-of-Notre-Dame\/dp\/B00005NYXO\/ref=sr_1_3?tag=classicalm05c-21&ascsubtag=classicalmusic-0"\" target=\""_blank"\" rel=\""sponsored" noopener noreferrer\">Buy from Amazon<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><strong>The Greatest Showman <\/strong>(2017)<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Justin Paul & Benj Pasek<\/strong><br\/><strong>Dir. Michael Gracey<\/strong><\/p>\n<iframe title=\""The\" greatest=\"\" showman=\"\" official=\"\" trailer=\"\" century=\"\" fox=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""113"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/AXCTMGYUg9A?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<p>This film has been something of a phenomenon and showed just how much of an appetite audiences had developed for film musicals. Such films had occasionally done good business, particularly if they were adapted from already popular hits \u2013 <em>Chicago<\/em> (2002), <em>Hairspray<\/em> (2007) \u2013 but an original film musical? The Oscar-winning <em>La La Land<\/em> (2016) was a sure sign that change might be afoot and with its thrilling set pieces, life-affirming songs and a few tugs of the heartstrings, <em>The Greatest Showman<\/em> ended up being the film experience we never knew we needed. Paul and Pasek have a flair for a showtune that can double as a popular hit \u2013 as they\u2019d proven with their Broadway show <em>Dear Evan Hansen<\/em>, and the tunes keep on coming in this upbeat firecracker with a sweet centre.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/The-Greatest-Showman-DVD\/dp\/B07MM93SVS\/ref=sr_1_3?tag=classicalm05c-21&ascsubtag=classicalmusic-0"\" target=\""_blank"\" rel=\""sponsored" noopener noreferrer\">Buy from Amazon<\/a><\/strong><\/p><\/body><\/html>\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Michael Beek Published: Sunday, 05 June 2022 at 12:00 am Ever since sound and film were first united in The Jazz Singer (1927), the musical has been a staple of cinema history and popular culture. Over time the genre has evolved, peaked and waned. Hollywood cornered the market, though Bollywood has certainly given it […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":15881,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"11"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/06\/15-of-the-best-film-musicals-of-all-time-scaled.jpg",1689,2560,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/06\/15-of-the-best-film-musicals-of-all-time-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/06\/15-of-the-best-film-musicals-of-all-time-198x300.jpg",198,300,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/06\/15-of-the-best-film-musicals-of-all-time-768x1164.jpg",768,1164,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/06\/15-of-the-best-film-musicals-of-all-time-676x1024.jpg",676,1024,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/06\/15-of-the-best-film-musicals-of-all-time-1013x1536.jpg",1013,1536,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/06\/15-of-the-best-film-musicals-of-all-time-1351x2048.jpg",1351,2048,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Michael Beek Published: Sunday, 05 June 2022 at 12:00 am Ever since sound and film were first united in The Jazz Singer (1927), the musical has been a staple of cinema history and popular culture. Over time the genre has evolved, peaked and waned. Hollywood cornered the market, though Bollywood has certainly given it…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/15880"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15881"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15880"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15880"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}